Over the years, different types of beverage brewing devices have been developed. One type of beverage brewing device has an upper member or portion which opens upward on a pivot to allow users to access or clean the brewing chamber, or to replace the filter or the granular brew-able materials, such as coffee grounds, tea leaves or the like, which are suitable for preparing consumable beverages.
This type of device may include a brewing chamber configured for brewing the contents of a capsule or pod to prepare a beverage. Typically for this type of brewing device, heated liquid flows into the brewing chamber from a fluid inlet provided on the upper member of the brewing assembly, and the brewed beverage is delivered from the brewing chamber through a fluid outlet provided on the lower member or portion of the brewing assembly. A device for brewing beverage capsule (pod) is designed so that when liquid or a mixture of water and steam flows into the brewing chamber, virtually all the fluid or mixture of water and steam will pass through the capsule. The efficiency of the brewing process to extract the full flavor from the soluble or extractable substances contained in the capsule is then maximized.
After the brewing cycle, the used capsule is removed from the brewing chamber, and replaced with a new capsule. To replace the used capsule, the brewing chamber has to be opened. This is accomplished by opening the upper member of the brewing assembly in a pivoting manner. During this operation, the liquid remaining in the fluid inlet will drip or splash down on the capsule, and cause the brewing device to discharge residual liquid during the removal of the capsule, which is highly undesirable and inconveniences the user.
Also, any newly inserted replacement capsule will be contaminated or infiltrated by residual liquid remaining in the brewing assembly before or after the brewing process, and/or by liquid prematurely released from boiler during heating. This can cause premature dissolution and/or clumping of the substance in the capsule, thereby adversely affecting the taste and flavor of the brewed beverage. Additionally, if sufficient amount of residual liquid has infiltrated the capsule, it may cause the substance in the capsule to be brewed at a less than optimal temperature, thus altering the original taste and flavor of the brewed beverage.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for preventing and/or eliminating the undesirable release of residual liquid remaining in the brewing assembly before or after the brewing process, and liquid prematurely released from the boiler during heating.